THE WEEKS BILL IN CONGRESS 



477 



with the report of the committee on 

 forest reservations and the protection 

 of game, and the report by the Secre- 

 tary of Ag-ricuhure of 1907 on the ex- 

 amination of the Appalachian and White 

 Mountain watersheds. This made these 

 documents a part of the record and put 

 them in printed form before the sena- 

 tors on the following day. 



At two o'clock on Thursday, the 23d, 

 the unfinished business was taken up 

 and the bill read. Senator Burton of 

 Ohio at once entered upon obstructive 

 tactics. Senator Brandegee presented 

 the bill with a speech in its favor, but 

 was subjected to frequent interruptions 

 by Senator Burton, assisted by Senator 

 Newlands. It became evident very 

 early in the discussion that a few sena- 

 tors were playing for time. 



Following Senator Brandegee's speech, 

 Senator Newlands secured the floor and 

 proposed an amendment to strike out 

 all after the enacting clause and to sub- 

 stitute a bill of his own providing for 

 a conservation commission. In support 

 of this, Mr. Newlands made a long 

 argument, some parts of which were 

 more or less pertinent to the question 

 which he was supposed to discuss. The 

 discussion of the bill was also inter- 

 rupted by conference reports at inter- 

 vals and some of these occupied con- 

 siderable time. Senator Stone of Mis- 

 souri offered an amendment providing 

 for the survey of certain swamp lands 

 in the states of Missouri, Arkansas, and 

 Louisiana, and his argument on this 

 amendment was made somewhat at 

 length. 



Finally, atfer a long-drawn-out ses- 

 sion, a quorum failing, the Senate ad- 

 journed at a little after seven o'clock. 

 On the following day, when the hour 

 for unfinished business arrived, the 

 consideration of the bill was resumed 

 and a desultory discussion followed in 

 the intervals of other business. On Sat- 

 urday, when it became evident that the 

 filibustering senators would hold their 

 ground, negotiations were entered into 

 for an agreement to secure a vote at the 

 next session. The House bill, having 

 passed that body and been sent to the 

 Senate, was substituted for the Senate 



bill as unfinished business. Having se- 

 cured this result, Senator Brandegee 

 made the following statement : 



This being the unfinished business, I, a few 

 minutes ago, made a request that the Senate 

 should vote upon it before adjournment. 

 There was objection. The senator from 

 Ohio stated that there were other senators 

 who desired to be heard, and he had no idea 

 that it could be finally acted upon at the 

 present session. It has been perfectly evi- 

 dent to everybody from what has been go- 

 ing on here ever since we have had this bill 

 under discussion that it could not be passed 

 at this session. I am satisfied, and I think 

 every senator on this floor is satisfied, that 

 it is hopeless, in view of the present situa- 

 tion, to press the measure further upon the 

 attention of the Senate at this time. 



In view of that fact, and not desiring to 

 block other business on this, the last day of 

 the session, I ask unanimous consent that 

 upon February 15, 191 1, the Senate shall vote 

 upon all amendments pending or to he offered 

 to the bill (H. R. 11798) entitled "A bill 

 to enable any state to cooperate with any 

 other state or states, or with the United 

 States, for the protection of the watersheds 

 of navigable streams, and to appoint a com- 

 mission for the acquisition of lands for the 

 purpose of conserving the navigability of 

 navigable rivers," and upon the bill itself, 

 before adjournment on that day. 



During the discussion on the agree- 

 ment asked for by Senator Brandegee, 

 Senator Newlands frankly stated that 

 he desired to have matters so arranged 

 that every man who was a friend of the 

 Appalachian proposition would be com- 

 pelled to vote for the general water- 

 ways scheme, which he is interested in 

 having embodied in legislation. Sena- 

 tors Brandegee and Gallinger both 

 stated that they were in favor of en- 

 larging the commission provided for by 

 the bill and extending its functions to 

 include at least some of the things de- 

 sired by Senator Newlands. Finally, 

 after a long discussion, the request of 

 Senator Brandegee was agreed to and 

 the matter was disposed of for this ses- 

 sion by the Senate with that under- 

 standing — that the bill with all amend- 

 ments that may be proposed in the 

 meantime, shall be voted on before ad- 

 journment on the 15th of February 

 next. This introduces an uncertain 

 element in the form of possible amend- 



